Sheffield United’s John Fleck discharged from hospital after on-pitch collapse

The Sheffield United manager Slavisa Jokanovic expressed his relief that midfielder John Fleck was “conscious and talking” after he unexpectedly collapsed during the second half of his side’s 1-0 win at Reading. The club announced on Wednesday that the player has been discharged from hospital.

Jayden Bogle grabbed United’s winner but the match was overshadowed by the second-half incident when Fleck went down apparently unchallenged, with his teammates quickly indicating for the medics to run on the pitch to tend to him.

Fleck, 30, received “urgent medical care” according to United’s official Twitter account and, after a 10-minute delay, was taken off on a stretcher and out of the ground to a waiting ambulance.

After the match, United’s manager, Slavisa Jokanovic, said: “I didn’t really see the incident but it looked like he just collapsed, without any physical contact around him. I am not a doctor but the news is positive. It was not an easy situation for everybody.”

On Wednesday morning the club tweeted that Fleck “has been discharged from hospital & will return to Sheffield today. He was conscious when he was taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital and was communicative with club and medical personnel, as well as his family.”

West Brom ended a run of four successive away defeats but gave up more ground in the automatic promotion race as they were held to a goalless draw at Blackpool. The Baggies keeper Sam Johnstone made a brilliant double stop to deny Gary Madine and Keshi Anderson while Matt Clarke came close to snatching a late winner for the visitors.

Chris Wilder is still waiting for his first win as Middlesbrough manager after Preston came from behind to claim a 2-1 win at the Riverside Stadium. Paddy McNair’s 33rd-minute header looked set to get Wilder’s regime up and running after he marked his debut in the dugout with Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Millwall. But Ched Evans headed Preston’s equaliser in the 77th minute and four minutes later, Emil Riis Jakobsen lashed an unlikely winner for Frankie McAvoy’s men.

Birmingham ended a run of two successive defeats by clinging on for a goalless draw at former tenants Coventry despite having Ryan Woods sent off eight minutes from time.

Nottingham Forest also ended the night with 10 men after Jack Colback was sent off for two bookable offences in their goalless draw with Luton at the City Ground.

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